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This is a very old entry — images are small, formatting is off.

If staying at an Econolodge is too highbrow for you, perhaps one of the 2,000-plus locations of Super 8 Worldwide (formerly just Super 8 Motel) would satisfy. Because I believe everything I read in Wikipedia, I now know this is “the world’s largest budget hotel chain,” which is a testament to the ubiquity of these motels as you drive through any and all states in the U.S., and how well it has blended into the background since its inception in 1973. The new logo was introduced back in April of this year but has slowly begun to be displayed in about twenty of the properties, including a recent unveiling at the first Super 8 to grace the landscape of Aberdeen, South Dakota. As with any hotel rebranding, this one is meant to signal a change in the amenities and services offered by the chain — there is a press release to tell you all about it.

The old logo had that clunky Nouveau Americana (I just made that up) look that is neither offensive nor appealing. Although I had never paid close attention to the logo and the lettering is not bad at all, that “SUPER” is, well, pretty super. The new logo “featuring a brighter, modern graphic design,” takes on a very, very odd direction by appropriating the visual language of sign painters and letterers more commonly found in the produce and deli sections of grocery stores or on the windows of convenience stores and bodegas — forcing Super 8 to be at a perpetual discounted price forever and ever. Which may not be a bad thing, of course, it just seems a strange decision. By maintaining the shape of the old logo, so that changing signs across all locations is as economical as possible, the new logo feels like a monkey in a cage, swinging all over the place with little room to breathe. The “8” is almost a nice graphic and almost fits nicely with the lower bowl of the holding shape, but the rest of elements feel too forced and cheap. The “Super” appears to be an out-of-the-box script typeface, where it would have been interesting to hire a sign painter to draw something unique that would fit perfectly in the shape, instead of forcing stock items locked up by a swoosh… which, as far as swooshes go, it’s not that bad. A funky rebranding overall, that even if it’s not overly successful at least has offered a new approach.

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Super 8! Get 2 for 1! For Just \$9.99!

\n\nIf staying at an Econolodge is too highbrow for you, perhaps one of the 2,000-plus locations of Super 8 Worldwide (formerly just Super 8 Motel) would satisfy. Because I believe everything I read in Wikipedia, I now know this is \"the world's largest budget hotel chain,\" which is a testament to the ubiquity of these motels as you drive through any and all states in the U.S., and how well it has blended into the background since its inception in 1973. The new logo was introduced back in April of this year but has slowly begun to be displayed in about twenty of the properties, including a recent unveiling at the first Super 8 to grace the landscape of Aberdeen, South Dakota. As with any hotel rebranding, this one is meant to signal a change in the amenities and services offered by the chain — there is a press release to tell you all about it.